Tony Blair on Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century

In order to solve a problem you have to put your hands on it and fully understand it. This is what engineers do. They take a fresh look and make sure they see the big picture. Trying to solve a problem from a distance, which governments often do, is likely to be futile. As a leader you need to have an engineering mindset. You also need a detailed and efficient accountability system.

The essence here is to know your relationships with other organizations (countries), and to know what power you have. Also, when the storm hits be sure to be on deck and be ready to steer. (Doug: As the computer director for the biggest school district in the region, I was the main liaison between the district and the organization that provided services the schools couldn’t provide themselves. There were times that I had to remind the people I dealt with that I was the biggest customer, but I only did so when it was necessary.)

You build trust by keeping your word. Building trust takes time as does building relationships. Trust is hard to build but easy to destroy by not keeping your word once. You need to recognize the opinion and political differences you have and look for issues of agreement to make progress.

Tony talks about how countries need to be careful as they deal with China and the US. No one wants to make both of them enemies. Such relationships are tricky to say the least. They also need to pay attention to India now that it is the country with the largest population that is growing, unlike China who’s population is shrinking.

Tony sees foreign policy becoming more complicated and that trade will become a weapon of choice. He finds it odd that Muslim populations are being more embraced by politicians on the left as they are a very conservative ideologically. We should not equate Muslims with the politics of Islamism as they all don’t want to see Israel and the US disappear.

In meetings that involve negotiations, it is vital to know what you want. Just like John Kennedy had a relationship with Nikita Khrushchev, you need to develop a relationship with your adversaries. Let the other party talk first and most. Use honey rather than vinegar and never lose your cool. Start above your bottom line and know when to close. Never let others know how happy you are with a given result and go for a result that makes everyone happy, or at least somewhat happy.

Tactical communication is passing out facts that people need to know. Strategic communication involves a carefully crafted narrative that deals with the big picture. It needs to be simple enough for everyone to get right away. You also need help reinforcing the strategic message so people are more likely to remember it. Also, know that corruption is the enemy of effective leadership.

As a leader, you will face criticism, so expect it. It is likely to hurt at first, which is why you need to grow a shell to protect yourself. If you fight back too much you are likely to just draw more attention to it. Try to decide if it is sensible and serious. If it is, you can learn from it. Above all, don’t worry about it as that is wasted effort. You can’t control it. Tony’s recommends meditation.

Scandal is common, it can happen in any organization. Don’t forget the lesson learned from the Watergate scandal where the coverup was worse than the crime. A scandal is a problem, it’s not your job. Make sure you focus on visibly doing your job. When it happens, get to the facts and don’t let it take you over. Note that some scandals are manufactured by your enemies, while others are real. Know which is which.

Social media can be everything from toxic to useful. You need to use it to get out your message as it can be powerful. It also comes with vitriol and venom. Don’t go there yourself. Much of social media is highly biased politically. It seems to have pushed traditional media to also become more biased. You need to know when the media you consume is an echo chamber for one side of a political argument. Most media are just that. Try to sample media with both right and left bias.